So long and goodnight.

My experience with blogging was it can be quite enjoyable. I was skeptical about a hybrid class, because I had taken a math hybrid class before and the experience was not so pleasant. It was easier to type and post assignments than to write them all out. I liked being able to read and see everyone else’s work also to compare to my own. However, I do not think I will keep my blog going. Maybe in the future I will blog again, but I have a facebook right now. I really enjoyed everybody’s blogs, and if someone wants to keep in touch with me and has a facebook just send a friend request. Overall, I would say blogging is fun and it coincided well with an English class since it was about writing. My last words are some of you are excellent writers and should keep your blogs going. I hope to see some of you in Critical Thinking and Composition.

Ann Cooper and her proposals

I learned many different facts about what is being fed to our kids in their schools. Some of the information I already knew about because of Fast Food Nation such as all the advertisement toward children. However some facts that surprised me was that 10 companies control all the grocery stores. I was also surprised to find that more money is spent on keeping prisoners in jail than feeding our children. I also did not know that pesticides were doubled. This kind of makes me depressed that children are brought up in an unhealthy enviornment and can easily be getting diabetes and might not even outlive us. I thought the video was interesting and Cooper made a very informative and persuasive speech. I can not use this information in my paper however because I am not focusing on children for my research.

"what's it going to be then, eh?" Review on A Clockwork Orange the book

I am going to review this book I read called A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. I am positively in love with this book. If you read the movie it does not compare in the slightest to the book and leaves out important information. The storyline is about a boy named Alex who has three main interests: rape, violence, and beethoven. He leads a gang of his friends and they just do drugs and go around and rape people and committ acts of violence. It is told in a narrative-singular person first point of view.

The book has an errily portrail of what might happen in the future if teenagers get out of hand with little punishment. The book proceeds with the main character who robs a house then gets left behind by his gang and gets caught by police. The victim in the house dies and he is tried for murder.
The themes of the book go on about moral choice for humanity vs government control over people. While in jail the main character Alex goes through a program where he is forced to watch movies about violence then injected with drugs to make him nausous, so he associaties the two psychologically. He is then released into society.
The book gives very distinct details about Alex and the programming he goes through. The psychologically aspects are very eye-opening and the book draws your attention in from the first line. The author creates a slang that the teenagers use which is genius so that any generation may read it and understand what the children are saying.
The ending of the book is just awesome because it has 21 chapters which gives great symbolism to the age 21 or the becoming an adult. In the end of the book in the 21st chapter Alex realizes everything he was doing was childish and upon seeing his matured friends vows to change his ways and grow up. However the movie ommitts the 21st chapter ending.

Overall, the book is enjoyable to read with good details and chilling psychological aspects of government control over humanity. The slang used is fun and the characters are quirky and very well developed. I enjoyed reading this book and find it a must read for anybody who wants a thriller. 

 

wow, what I never knew I consumed

The book Fast Food Nation has changed my whole view on fast food and especially McDonalds. I would have never guessed that the way they feed the cows all those unsanitary products and even other animals. I found it to be very crude. I did not realize I was eating meat that contained feces in it when I went to eat out. The whole book with its gruesome details made me sick to my stomach. It enlightened me on the way the people in the meat packing industry are treated. It brought up how unions are easily silenced by the people protesting unfair work practices by being out of a job.
I have already made some changes in my life. I used to eat fast food all the time, almost everyday. Since I read this book I have not eaten a single hamburger. I still eat the french fries though. I am going to cut back on the fast food I eat permanently. I do not want to support a business that treats it workers like animals and is cruel to cattle and other livestock. I have been trying to eat more healthy and drink less soda among eating less fast food.
This book made me think of the trauma the animals go through before they are slaughtered. I was completely unaware of the brainwashing McDonalds uses in their advertising and the controversies of marketing to younger children with the psychological affects they will have later because of it. I was unaware of the global realization they are trying to achieve by americanizing and changing cultures in other countries. I was completely shocked by the treatment of the workers most of all and how they do not care about the safety or health of their employees in the meapacking warehouses. I was also mortified about the companies taking advantage of immigrant workers who are looking for job opportunities.

Do as I say, not as I do.

When I first signed up for my classes I originally signed up for 5 classes. College Composition, Speech, Health, Women in Art, and Spanish. I was especially looking forward to my art class. However not even a week before classes started my art class got cancelled by the district. I am assuming not very many people signed up. I was kind of sad because I had the teacher before and I knew her teaching style. Plus it fit my schedule perfectly.

Now that we are just 2 months away from the end of the semester I am glad my art class got cancelled because I have had a heavy workload. It was heavier than I imagined it would be. Sometimes I feel like I am not smart enough to be in college but I get good grades every time. It does not come easy though. I really work my ass off and commit myself. I push myself to try my best and finish as much as I can.

                I also work full time which does not leave me much time for homework.  Sometimes that means staying up late or getting up early to finish my assignments. It is all worth it though when I get my grades back and I am looking at an A or B. I am happy even with C’s. To me D’s and F’s are not acceptable. I paid a lot of money to go to school here so I will not waste my time and I take my classes very seriously.

                My main motivation to go to college is my family. My parents never went to college and my sister and I are the first to get a higher education than our parents. My sister motivates me because of sibling rivalry mainly. I have to get an equal or better education otherwise I will look like a failure to the family. Another reason I go is to be a better example for my brother. I want to show him that he has to take his education seriously also. I do not want to be a hypocrite and tell him “Do as I say, not as I do.” I have noticed my influence on him and do not want to be a bad one.

tell me what you think

1. I've traveled to England
2. My pet dog's name is Lily.
3. I love to sing
4. I ski in the mountains
5. My favorite food is spaghetti
6. I work with children

"I heard a record and it opened my eyes"

Im going to post some music videos that I like and just songs I like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9LatjYp7_Q&feature=fvst

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRUtT1019Zk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdeSSZSVAxU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj2ntDiXJCk&feature=fvsr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2wo73xIBFk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-3rUF2JpXA

I fly like people get high, like planes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq_uy1qcO-k

So let’s talk about weed. There are many, many different types of weed. Just to name a few there are: White Widow, Northern Lights, Purple Haze, (my personal favorite) Train wreck, etc. When you first get a sack one of the things most noticeable is the smell. You just have to take a moment to smell the sack over and over before you pack your prize. I remember back in the earlier days before I ever experienced weed for myself I hated the smell. It smelled like a skunk. Now that I am a smoker I love the smell. There is something almost hypnotic and euphoric about it.   

You might think of the anti drugs commercials they play on TV. I admit there are a few moments in my life where I felt like I was living in those commercials. I am not saying I smoke regularly, I used to, but I have cut back. Weed has never interfered with my life to the point where it ruined it. There are good and bad things about it.

Some ways to smoke weed is to buy a piece and pack a bowl and smoke with your friends. It is a social drug, although some people do use it for medicinal purposes. Another way is to roll a blunt, like using a swisher. You could use different types of bongs. A vaporizer is great because it is an instant head rush without all the choking. Some can use a gas mask or bubblers. However you prefer to smoke it the effects are all the same.

When you are up there some common symptoms are feeling sleepy, happy and hungry. Your senses are heightened. This may make normal things such as listening to music, watching TV, or playing a videogame, more enjoyable. You might get “stuck” or being fixated on an object. Some people who smoke too much might have a bad trip such as having paranoia or feeling vertigo. Some might smoke too much; have a huge head change and throw up. I have seen it happen. Your body uses energy and after you may experience the “munchies” or being hungry. Food will taste ten times better than it normally does when you eat it. Afterward it is not uncommon to feel tired and want to sleep.

Some say weed is the gateway drug. I can understand why people would say that. Some people who smoke often end up gaining a tolerance for it. You are initially chasing the first high and have to smoke more to feel the same effect. However once you cut back or take a break it is the reverse and takes less to make you high. Some people get tired of weed and move on to harder drugs and experiment more. It is all about self control but that is my opinion.

So is weed bad to the point where it should be illegal? It practically is legal. All cops do when you have it, is crush it and cite you for something else. You can even have a medical card and then it is legal. The laws are pretty lax enough. They do not want any drug traffickers selling pounds of it. Then all drugs should be legal. However, I do not believe it should have the bad reputation it does, because as I have found out, it’s really not that bad.  

Its ok, just tell your little brother you couldnt pick him up cuz u were getting high, he'll understand.

Without my family I would not be the person I am today. Despite the good times and the bad times they are always going to be my family. Sometimes I think of myself as fortunate, even though sometimes it was a struggle to grow up and be mature. Throughout all my experiences I have learned what it means to be a sister and a mentor.

My sister has always been my main rival. Even from the day she was born everybody tells me when my grandmother brought her home she was holding her in her arms and I thought she was a doll. I reached out to look at what my grandmother was holding and everyone was saying “It’s your sister.” According to the story I looked at her and pushed her away. That was the beginning of our rivalry. My earliest memories are being little and I was always extremely jealous of her. Every toy she had I wanted. It always bothered me too because my grandmother would dress us up to match each other, so everybody thought we were twins. Since we are close in age to this day we still are mistaken for twins sometimes. I always had to be different from her. She was always a straight A student, and my dad doted on her. I on the other hand was extremely temperamental and fought with my dad constantly. However we get along more now that we are older and more mature, and even though we still compete and fight we will still often tell each other I love you.

I have three younger half brothers. It is hard to explain but my mother got pregnant three more times after she divorced my dad with different men. She may have not always made the right choices in life, but I love my brothers. Since I am the oldest of all the children I am always the babysitter, the one in charge, and the example. This title is sometimes good and sometimes bad. If I make a mistake it is used as the example for everyone. Trust me; I have made a lot of mistakes. Sometimes I feel more like the role of mom and my mom is more the role of sister. She is 40 years old but she parties like she is 20 still. This is fun because I like having a mom who is like my sister. Sometimes it’s not fun when my brothers are calling me telling me “Mom left for a couple days and we are hungry can you bring us food?” Then I have to be the one in charge and take them to school or bring them food or help them with their homework. I try my best but I always feel guilty when I can not be there. Sometimes I have to be the one in charge, if they fight with each other I usually have to step in. If my mom is being too rough I usually have to comfort them after. However, through all the experiences I understand my role as sister because of all my siblings.

If my immediate family were not enough I also have a new title as step sister to a younger step sister and step brother. My dad recently remarried and it’s been a new adjustment in my life. My mom is extremely jealous of my dad’s new wife and I constantly have to tell her I know she is my real mom and I love her more just to reassure her that my new step mom hasn’t replaced her love. Once again I am the example for my younger step sister. I am five years older and I have talks with her and try and tell her about my experiences in case she ever needs help. My sister and my step sister do not get along so once again I am the mediator for all the fighting and the peace keeper. Though as confusing and hectic as it is with my family I am always the same role, which is older sister.  

Have you ever seen a llama?

The summer I graduated high school marked a significant event in my life. The summer of 2008 I traveled out of the country to Peru for ten days. I traveled with my aunt and my sister, Olivia. It was the first time in my life I went to South America. I experienced a new culture, gained a sense of spirituality, and received a new appreciation for my life.

            The first place we traveled to in Peru was the capital, Lima. I was very anxious on the plane, for it was the longest flight I had ever been on. It took us eight hours to reach our destination. We stayed at Lima for a day. It was not much unlike the city in LA. It had tall buildings with billboards and large outlet malls to go shopping. We ventured out and went to some of the stores and ate at a restaurant on the beach. In the restaurant I experienced a new drink. It was a lemongrass drink that is a common soda. It was not very tasty to me. In the restaurant our server spoke English. He gave us a tip since we were three female tourists, and told us to not take any cabs by ourselves. They had a problem with human trafficking over there. We completed our first day in Lima and went to our hotel at the end of the night.

            The next day of our trip we took another plane to Cusco. Cusco was a very beautiful city, and I saw many new places and a different way of life. There were children in the streets selling small hand woven puppets. They would run away and hide from the police, for it was illegal for children to be selling items to tourists. Students that were artists sold their paintings on the streets. In every restaurant they served “cuy de horno” translating to “roasted guinea pig.” It shocked me they ate guinea pigs as a specialty item. We experienced the history of the Incas. We rode horses through the woods that led to caves women and children hid in. We visited a couple museums and saw real mummies that were preserved. We saw street performers dancing in traditional Inca clothing. Every place we went to had something new and exciting to behold. My aunt then told my sister and me that the place we were going to next was the main reason for the trip. We would be leaving to see the wonder of the world, Machu Picchu.

            We stayed in Cusco for most of our trip, but then we left on a train to Aguascalientes. When we got off the train, we were informed there was only one way to reach Machu Picchu, and that was by bus. We took the bus and made it to the city. The scene I witnessed was the most stunning site I have ever seen. It was literally a city on the top of a mountain. Our tour guide led us through the mountain. Its foundation was made out of stone. There were wild llamas running around everywhere. On the end of the city was another mountain you could climb to see the view of Machu Picchu from above. We got in line, but to our dismay we found out only a certain number of people were allowed to go at a time. We waited for a while to see if we would make the cut. Fortunately for us, we made the cut and we climbed our way to the top. The view was worth the brutal hike to the top. We could see Machu Picchu’s shape which looked almost like a bird. The mountains around Machu Picchu were covered in fog. It cleared away to a remarkable view. It was a sight that not even a picture could capture. As beautiful as all the pictures we took, none could compare to actually seeing the whole sight.  

            When we were led through the city our tour guide pointed out the wild cocoa leaves that grew spontaneously. He told us the Incas used the leaves in a spiritual sense with prayer. He showed us how to pray with the leaves the way they did. It was a moment in my life where I really got in touch with my spiritual side. We went to a room with a small window where they prayed. One by one we held the leaves and he chanted the prayer. After that we held the leaves up to the window and blew them out. We left soon to the train to go back to Cusco. We returned back to the hotel we were staying in. Our trip was coming to an end.

            The plane home was a straight shot from Peru to the United States. We made one land in San Salvador. It took us twelve grueling hours to get home. The plane ride was not smooth or fun. We were flying in the middle of the storm. I remember looking over out the window and seeing nothing but black clouds. Lightning was visibly striking and I could only envision it hitting the plane. I looked over to my aunt on the verge of tears. She just told me we would be okay and not to worry. I had to sleep to keep myself from hyperventilating. She was right, for I did have nothing to worry about. We made it back home safely. Looking back on the trip I was able to reflect on what I experienced. It opened my eyes to the way other people live and celebrate their culture. It made me appreciate how I live my life and appreciate what I have accomplished.

            In conclusion, my trip to Peru was a significant moment in my life that I will never forget. I saw how the people in Peru lived their daily lives. I learned about their culture and their history. I saw the wonder of the world Machu Picchu and got in touch with my spiritual side. I reflected back on my experienced and gained a new sense of appreciation for my life as it is. Hopefully, one day I will be able to travel there again

the interview with my fellow classmate

I had to interview a classmate, and the classmate I talked to was Andrew Nelinger. He told me some interesting facts about himself. He told me he grew up in Moorpark. He did move to Thousand Oaks for a little while but eventually moved back to Moorpark. He told me his motivation to go to college was to get a better job and make more money. He prefers to go to Oxnard College because it is right next to the beach. He is studying to become a firefighter. I learned his dad is his inspiration. His dad started his own business at the age of 20 and has ran it ever since. He has a little brother who looks up to him and copies everything he does. Overall, I would describe Andrew as hard working, independent, and very respectful.   

America's next top model is...

I love watching TV. particularly in the evenings when I come home after work. However, I do not indulge in reality TV when I watch my shows at night. I usually watch Adult Swim or sitcoms. Reality TV is something I watch when I have nothing else to watch when I am home during the daytime. A show I will admit to watching is Wife Swap during the evenings sometimes. However, I do not obsess over it or care for it that much. When I was in high school I was more addicted to reality TV. I used to follow America’s Next Top Model like a religion. I watched two seasons of Flavor of Love and I watched the spin-off show I love New York. I remember watching at least two seasons of Rock of Love, then the spin-off for that show Charm School, but just the season with Sharon Osbourne as the teacher.




What I liked about reality shows when I was younger was all the drama they put on. The first episodes are always shaky because there are a lot of people. Later, as the shows progress, you become familiar with the characters. It almost seems real. You become addicted because either you can relate to a character or you are just fully entertained by all the commotion. It always ends with somebody in tears going home, and soon they progress to a final winner. Sometimes the winner may get their own show, if they are popular enough. After a while though, you realize it is all the same and I guess I got over it and now can barely make myself watch another episode. I remember just the other week I watched America’s next top model and I was able to pretty much guess everything before it happened. They are that uninteresting to me anymore.



I believe these shows target certain age groups. For example, when I was 16 in high school I loved watching America’s Next Top Model because all the contestants are around the age group of 18 to 20’s. What little girl does not want to be a model? This can either be a good thing or a bad thing for society. The good thing is sometimes; the winners may get money, fame, whatever they are looking for. The bad side is sometimes they could just end up looking stupid in front of millions of people. Every show has a writer and a producer who make the show they want it to be. Society is targeted for every reality show and the writers try to bring that element into the show. It is for pure entertainment. It does not portray reality at all. Reality does have its drama and its entertainment which is why I do not need TV to have that. It makes ordinary people celebrities for pretty much no reason. The shows find their target audience and use random unknown people to act to get ratings. It is purely for the money.

YOU CANT TEXT MESSAGE BREAKUP!!!

Texting has become such a technological advancement that it is hard to think back and realize it used to not exist. I can remember my first cell phone I got was in high school. It was the cheapest phone I ever received. It had a 711 logo and could not even take pictures. I could however, text other people. This was the beginning of a revolution to me. I remember learning how to text people. It was annoying because 3 letters were on one number, but after a few practices I learned very quickly how many times to press a number to get a letter, and I became very quick at texting.


Then it became almost an addiction. It was better than talking on the phone. You could “talk” to multiple people at the same time. If you didn’t want to answer someone else, or had to think about an answer before sending you could do it. Then of course later, when I got a job and some money I updated my phone. The first feature I made sure my new phone had was a keypad that looked like a keyboard so I could text faster than I could ever text before. I am not the only one.

Texting has its downfalls along with its perks. As much as I love texting apparently so does the world, of course including my sister. I used to drive around in a Honda civic. After a while, my sister would drive it to work also. One night driving home she was reaching down to look at her phone because she received a text message. In the action of looking down she hit a curb lost control of the car and crashed into a tree. This completed annihilated my car. My sister was ok with some scrapes and brusies, and was a little shaken but fine. I never drove that car again all because of texting.

Yo quiero Taco Bell

Fast food played a regular part of my childhood. I remember every weekend when I was not in school my dad would take my sister and I to go get McDonald’s or Taco bell. I remember mostly eating McDonald’s happy meals. I used to love to go there because I would get a toy with my meal and McDonalds had the best toys out of all the places to eat. So, I always asked to go there. Sometimes it was not just a weekend thing; sometimes we would eat it when everyone was just too lazy to cook anything.


Right now fast food is a very big part of my life. I feel almost reliant on it sometimes. I usually eat at least one meal out a day, sometimes more. My favorite place to eat is Taco bell. I like to eat out because it is fast and convenient and I do not have to make myself food all the time. If I am in a hurry it is nice just to have an instant meal almost. Even though it is bad for you I actually lost weight when I ate out more so I’m not worried about that but sometimes I worry I am not feeding myself the right nutrition. However, that will not stop me from eating out still.

Assignment #1

Savanna Mejia




Past, Present, and Future



I was born in Oxnard, and have lived in Oxnard all my life. When I was younger my parents divorced and my grandmother raised my sister and I. My grandmother taught me how to cook and clean at an early age and was a major influence to me. She was very religious and I went to a catholic school up until high school. I hardly saw my mother and my dad worked all day. When I was younger, I used to pick out music from my dad’s c.d’s and sing in his bedroom when he was gone. My mother moved a lot and had 3 more children, my brothers, which I would baby-sit when I visited her.

Right now in my life I am currently a full time student at community college. This is my second year taking classes. I also work full time in a café. I make sandwiches, smoothies, coffee, salads, and serve cheesecake. I have been told I am crazy for doing both but I feel better knowing I am doing something productive with my time. Also, even though it is scarce my free time is spent mostly with my friends or listening to music. My friend got me into raving and I spent my summer checking out local raves. However, I am pretty open about music, and I am taking lessons to sing.

I am always hoping for my future. Every day is a new beginning to discover something new. When I think of my future, I picture myself hopefully with a teaching job. I am aiming to become an English teacher. Sometimes I picture myself in another country teaching English as a second language. I would like to travel, although I am extremely frightened of airplanes. Other times I picture myself singing for entertainment. Either way I want to inspire people with my career choice and make a difference in people’s lives.